The present invention relates to a folding house designed in particular to be transported in the form of a stackable container.
Folding houses are known which have in the folded up position a width equal to or less than that of the road gauge and, in the unfolded or opened out position, a width about three times the preceding width, the reduction in the width for transport being achieved by the folding up, on each side of a central cell, of gable, outer wall, floor and roof panels.
The volume of these folded houses adapts them to transport, even on the road, but the height of these unfolded houses is at the most equal to the height of these houses when folded up.
Folding houses are also known which are similar to the preceding houses but equipped in their central part with an additional folding superstructure which is converted, when opened out, into a partly usable roof structure.
A drawback of the aforementioned houses is that their structure does not permit the stacking thereof.
Extensible transportable houses are also known which consist of a steel structure conforming to the dimensions and performances prescribed by the rules defining ISO containers.
They are extended by the outward translation of tridimensional shells which are integrated within the basic structure for transport.
Such houses are easily transportable and stackable but they have the drawback of a limited extension, since the width of the opened out house cannot exceed twice its width in the transport position and its height cannot exceed the height of the transported unit.
There exists an easily transportable and stackable house having the additional advantage of being equipped with autonomous loading and unloading means. Its structure is that of an ISO container and its handling devices are vertical telescopic racks placed close to the four corners of the container. As they are mounted on pivotable brackets, these racks are integrated for transport within cavities provided for this purpose in the sides of the container, and, in the position of use, they are opened out on each side of the container by pivoting on vertical axes of the brackets.
However, this house has the following drawbacks:
it is not extensible and any possible extensibility would be both limited and rendered more complicated by the presence of the rack cavities;
its handling devices consequently represent heavy equipment for a limited useful volume.
In contrast to the houses described hereinbefore, a house according to the present convention has the following advantages:
it has in the opened out position a height and a width, and consequently also a volume, which are greater:
in the folded up position, it forms a rigid, homogeneous container whose dimensions, characteristics and performances may be in conformity with the requirements of the ISO standards defining containers, and in particular the standards No. 668 and No. 1161, with all the resulting advantages for handling and transport.